1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a device for preventing objects and baggage from falling out of a storage compartment when the storage compartment is opened. The invention is particularly well adapted to overhead storage compartments of the type which are commonly used in modern commercial airplanes, busses, trains, and other vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Luggage compartments are widely used in the transportation industry for storing luggage and belongings of passengers. Some luggage compartments, especially in airplanes, are placed over passenger seats. This is usually a convenient and efficient place to store luggage. However, the location of these luggage compartments exposes passengers to potential injury. Objects stored in the luggage compartment may be stored improperly and objects may shift their position during the course of a journey. When a compartment door is opened, objects can accidentally fall out and passengers sitting below can be injured. Furthermore, objects which fall out of a luggage compartment can be broken and lost.
Despite the existence of this problem, the prior art has failed to find a suitable solution. Many devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,368,937, 4,275,942, 5,244,269, 5,383,628, and 544,218, have been developed for improving the operation or storage capacity of the luggage compartments. However, these devices fail to address the problem of falling objects.